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Friday, October 10, 2008

Urban Fantasy & Paranormal Book Cover Video

I have noticed around the fantasy and paranormal blogosphere lots of discussion about the similarity of many of the book covers and a heavy penchant for the use of half-clad women with tattoos. So I quickly scoured through my collection in search of the truth.

Indeed there is a uncommonly frequent use of women in left, right, front and back poses in disturbingly similar styles among a diversity of authors. Almost as if there was a branding guideline for the genre (or the art directors are all related).

In any case I put together a little video showcasing the paranormal/urban fantasy covers from the last couple of years and grouped them together for everyone’s amusement.

I hazarded a guess that the initial style was emulating or paying tribute to the covers from the Kushiel fantasy books [first seen in 2002] by Jacqueline Carey, but as I am not familiar with enough genres and book art it may have originated anywhere. If anyone has any ideas as to a more likely source please leave a comment. Also feel free to let me know about your favourite covers I may have missed in case I ever update the video (or do a sequel).

Hi Ilona thanks for stopping by. And hey the bruise may be the start of a new trend. Loved your comment about Book 3 ;). Your covers actually are great even if you didn't get your say. I look forward to Magic Strikes - loved the first two books.

YES! I've been saying for some time now that lower back tattoos, leather, and weapons are the holy trinity of cover art, but I was just kidding... now, seeing the proof of it, all in one place, Holy God.

Too funny! Heh, the Mercy Thompson covers drive me crazy because the book is VERY specific about her single discrete (not on her back) tattoo.

Add to your list - Demon Moon by Meljean Brook, which has a moon, a corset bra thingie, a lower back tattoo, a very short skirt, thigh-high stockings, and a dagger in a thigh sheath. Plus scantily clad guy nuzzling her neck. :)

It's blurred - did you cover the Kim Harrison books? They have a whole lotta back going on. And the original Working for the Devil by Lilith Saintcrow has a rare shoulder back shot, with sword and face tattoo.

Speaking as someone who does a fair bit of design work for authors (not their publishers) in the paranormal romance field, the authors rarely if ever have any control over the cover art. That's purely a marketing decision, and marketing is all about seeing what sells, and cloning it in the hopes of getting the same sellthrough rate. Since _Twilight_ we're seeing a massive glut flower/blood/black background covers as well. But to be fair, most of the covers have the models faces obscured so the readers can still picture the characters as they like. A woman's silhouette is still sexy and moves units off shelves, without giving the character a specific face (or needing to have the same model for every cover).

Hey Chris thanks for the additional suggestions. I do have one Harrison cover in there but missed some of the others. I think because they were on my reading list prior to 2006. Will definitely be adding them if I do a cover sequel. I've already noticed a bunch more titles coming out in the next few months that fit the profile.

Very true Tara. Successful marketing is all about getting your brand recognized and in all fairness the urban fantasy and paranormal publishers have been doing that very well.

Your post was pretty much right on, but in the case of the Karen Chance books, the tattoo plays a big part in the trilogy (more coming out later).

As does the tattoo(s) in Marjorie M. Liu's The Iron Hunt.

But, yes, the similarities are a bit overwhelming.

And a suggestion for your next project? Trying to find historical romance covers where the couple is NOT half-naked, making out, and/or in strange contortions that most "normal" people would never find themselves in. If you take up that challenge...I wish you luck. :D

Thanks for including WICKED GAME! When I saw the tattoo, I didn't even bother pointing out to my publisher that Ciara has a low pain threshold and a fear of commitment, both of which make tattoos highly unlikely. I knew that without the tats, people might not figure out at a glance that it was an urban fantasy. And it's all about that glance and the genre shorthand tipoffs. No complaints here, just amusement.

Historical novel cover artists are also fond of the woman-from-the-back thing, presumably because for that genre you can just draw an accurate outfit and it's visual shorthand for the historical period in which the story is set, encouraging people who like stuff set in that period to pick it up.

Hi Toni, I think the consensus is that at least it is effective and recognizable branding which helps put the books in consumers hands. The covers for your anthologies and the Sookie stories are very distinctive, but then again I am a fan of illustrated cover designs.

Ha! That was a lot of fun, Doug. You should do one on that one male cover model that is on EVERY book (though not as many urban fantasies, I'll admit - mostly romances.) I'm sure you know the guy though . . . he's on the cover of Kresley Cole's ... mm... 5th book I think. Annoys the heck out of me to see his face everywhere.

Great video. Gee, one of my characters gets a tat in Dark Lady's Chosen, and there's a three-quarters view of a woman in leather looking over her shoulder on the cover. Maybe my stuff is actually medieval urban fantasy? Oh, and don't forget Sherrilyn Kenyon with bare-chested guys with tats, some of which peel off to become demons.